Narrative:

I prepared to take my family back home in my aircraft. We had been staying at a hotel to escape hurricane for 8 days. I wanted to return to check damage at my home. I loaded the aircraft; filed a flight plan and preflted the plane. After engine running up and system check I called for the flight plan; changed to ground and was told to taxi to runway xxl via taxiway a. When arriving at the departure end; there was 1 corporate jet in line in front of me. We sat for some time as it was 'push hour' and the tower controller was very busy handling both runway xxr and runway xxl; at which time there was a landing or takeoff every 2-3 mins on each runway. The controller was extremely busy; the jet in front finally took off; and I thought I was told to 'position and hold' on runway xxl. I think I repeated that and complied. I sat in that position for 2-3 mins in view from the tower; from which there was no comment. Suddenly I hear someone say; 'what is that on the runway?' (no call sign.) about 30 seconds later; I was overflown by an air carrier B737-500 slightly off the left side of the runway and about 400 ft AGL. The jet made a gentle slow climbing turn to the left and disappeared from my view. I never heard the tower saying anything to the air carrier flight. I was then asked to taxi off the runway; which I did; at which time I keyed the microphone and said 'you told me position and hold?' (there was no response from the tower) and I returned to the departure end of runway xxl. Again; there was another corporate jet in front of me. After he left; I was asked to hold short of runway xxl which I responded in kind. A minute or two later; I was told to proceed to 'position and hold' to which I complied. I was then cleared for takeoff and the tower controller wished me a pleasant flight. I thought about what happened all the way home; but at that point I thought the controller had made the error. Upon arriving at destination and taxiing to the FBO; ground control gave me the departure airport tower number and told me to call them. I called and was told that I had entered upon runway xxl without a clearance. In fact; the supervisor told me he had listened to the tapes and that I had been told to 'hold short of runway xxl' and I repeated it back to the controller. I was stunned. I could not believe that had happened. He took down my airman's information and said 'you may or may not hear from someone.' I could not believe I had pulled such a bonehead maneuver. I normally check the final approach course for aircraft prior to entering any runway as habit; even though cleared. I did not do that this time. This was my first mistake. This was more than likely because I was focusing on getting home and checking the house. You can be assured this will never happen again. I am going to doublechk every clearance I get around any airport facility in the future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DISTRACTED ATP PLT EXPERIENCED A RWY INCURSION.

Narrative: I PREPARED TO TAKE MY FAMILY BACK HOME IN MY ACFT. WE HAD BEEN STAYING AT A HOTEL TO ESCAPE HURRICANE FOR 8 DAYS. I WANTED TO RETURN TO CHK DAMAGE AT MY HOME. I LOADED THE ACFT; FILED A FLT PLAN AND PREFLTED THE PLANE. AFTER ENG RUNNING UP AND SYS CHK I CALLED FOR THE FLT PLAN; CHANGED TO GND AND WAS TOLD TO TAXI TO RWY XXL VIA TXWY A. WHEN ARRIVING AT THE DEP END; THERE WAS 1 CORPORATE JET IN LINE IN FRONT OF ME. WE SAT FOR SOME TIME AS IT WAS 'PUSH HR' AND THE TWR CTLR WAS VERY BUSY HANDLING BOTH RWY XXR AND RWY XXL; AT WHICH TIME THERE WAS A LNDG OR TKOF EVERY 2-3 MINS ON EACH RWY. THE CTLR WAS EXTREMELY BUSY; THE JET IN FRONT FINALLY TOOK OFF; AND I THOUGHT I WAS TOLD TO 'POS AND HOLD' ON RWY XXL. I THINK I REPEATED THAT AND COMPLIED. I SAT IN THAT POS FOR 2-3 MINS IN VIEW FROM THE TWR; FROM WHICH THERE WAS NO COMMENT. SUDDENLY I HEAR SOMEONE SAY; 'WHAT IS THAT ON THE RWY?' (NO CALL SIGN.) ABOUT 30 SECONDS LATER; I WAS OVERFLOWN BY AN ACR B737-500 SLIGHTLY OFF THE L SIDE OF THE RWY AND ABOUT 400 FT AGL. THE JET MADE A GENTLE SLOW CLBING TURN TO THE L AND DISAPPEARED FROM MY VIEW. I NEVER HEARD THE TWR SAYING ANYTHING TO THE ACR FLT. I WAS THEN ASKED TO TAXI OFF THE RWY; WHICH I DID; AT WHICH TIME I KEYED THE MIKE AND SAID 'YOU TOLD ME POS AND HOLD?' (THERE WAS NO RESPONSE FROM THE TWR) AND I RETURNED TO THE DEP END OF RWY XXL. AGAIN; THERE WAS ANOTHER CORPORATE JET IN FRONT OF ME. AFTER HE LEFT; I WAS ASKED TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY XXL WHICH I RESPONDED IN KIND. A MINUTE OR TWO LATER; I WAS TOLD TO PROCEED TO 'POS AND HOLD' TO WHICH I COMPLIED. I WAS THEN CLRED FOR TKOF AND THE TWR CTLR WISHED ME A PLEASANT FLT. I THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED ALL THE WAY HOME; BUT AT THAT POINT I THOUGHT THE CTLR HAD MADE THE ERROR. UPON ARRIVING AT DEST AND TAXIING TO THE FBO; GND CTL GAVE ME THE DEP ARPT TWR NUMBER AND TOLD ME TO CALL THEM. I CALLED AND WAS TOLD THAT I HAD ENTERED UPON RWY XXL WITHOUT A CLRNC. IN FACT; THE SUPVR TOLD ME HE HAD LISTENED TO THE TAPES AND THAT I HAD BEEN TOLD TO 'HOLD SHORT OF RWY XXL' AND I REPEATED IT BACK TO THE CTLR. I WAS STUNNED. I COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT HAD HAPPENED. HE TOOK DOWN MY AIRMAN'S INFO AND SAID 'YOU MAY OR MAY NOT HEAR FROM SOMEONE.' I COULD NOT BELIEVE I HAD PULLED SUCH A BONEHEAD MANEUVER. I NORMALLY CHK THE FINAL APCH COURSE FOR ACFT PRIOR TO ENTERING ANY RWY AS HABIT; EVEN THOUGH CLRED. I DID NOT DO THAT THIS TIME. THIS WAS MY FIRST MISTAKE. THIS WAS MORE THAN LIKELY BECAUSE I WAS FOCUSING ON GETTING HOME AND CHKING THE HOUSE. YOU CAN BE ASSURED THIS WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN. I AM GOING TO DOUBLECHK EVERY CLRNC I GET AROUND ANY ARPT FACILITY IN THE FUTURE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.